I just CANNOT lose weight!

I am a 30 yr old female, I have had 1 child and ever since I cannot lose weight!

Before baby, I was 5'4" 115 lbs. Now I am 5'4" and about 135 lbs.

I feel bloated all the time, I carry a lot of weight in my stomach (under clothes I look small, but my tummy is nowhere near toned), and my arms are flabby and disgusting! I just can't seem to tone up!

I watch what I eat, exercise vigorously, but the scale is stuck and my clothes are still ill fitting.

What gives?

I'm by no means overweight, but I've thought of joining Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig to get to the bottom of this dilemma.

Any ideas on how I can shake this weight? Only healthy means, please :)

Mon. Aug 27, 9:39am

Do you drink 8 glasses of water
2 servings of dairy
2-3 servings of protien
5 fruits and veggies
a few healthy carbs ( high fiber)
Excercise( I am sure you do with a baby. Sometimes straving can make you gain weight
Are you mindlessly eating Are you in a group. Godd Luck You will find away !

Monday, August 27, 2007, 9:50 AM

Weight Watchers

Try Weight Watchers online. It's an easy plan, and online makes it very accessible, without the weigh ins.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 9:58 AM

your probably not eating enough and probably not taking in proper amount of protein. Everyone assumes that if you eat less and do tons of cardio that you will lose weight. Initially you will but in the long term you want to cut down your body fat percentage. By eating a diet high in protein you will feel full gain more muscle and it will help burning fat. Do some sort of weight training and eat a diet high in protein and drink tons of water and you will see results!

Monday, August 27, 2007, 10:21 AM

Are you REALLY watching what you eat though? And how much are you exercising? Anytime I've been in a "Hmm, why am I not losing weight?" period of time, it's usually not because of a plateau and more because of the little things I'm eating that I'm forgetting about.

Do you have other children and eat their leftovers so as not to waste? A bite of ice cream here and there? Do you graze all day? If you aren't already, log every bite you eat (a lot of people use this site but don't really log everything)- and if you can, add up the calories you are taking in for a couple of days to get an idea of what you are averaging. You may be taking in just enough calories to maintain, and need to shave a few off to lose weight. Also, sometimes we underestimate how big portions are and that means we are taking in way more calories than we want to.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 12:40 PM

Whether you think you can or you can not, you are right.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 12:42 PM

What is your username? If you tell us, we can go to your log and see what you're doing, and possibly see something you're not.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 12:48 PM

Since your weight is totally healthy (and at 115, you were actually on the cusp of being underweight), you should probably be worrying less about food and more about doing the right kind of exercises for your body issues. You sound like the perfect candidate to see incredible results from those "Six-week Bootcamp" programs where they work the hell out of you 3-4x a week.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 4:21 PM

I had the same problem after having children. I never could (and still haven't) been able to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight. Something changed for me and it has never changed back. Although I am still trying (it's been 12 years, sorry, hope that doesn't discourage you) I think something in my hormonal makeup changed and it has prevented me from losing. I focused for many, many months in a row on losing weight and nothing, not a pound, the scale was stuck. Then, I literally would eat anything I wanted (coz I was discouraged and thought, why not?)for months on end and wouldn't gain a pound either. It was the weirdest thing. I think for some of us, having children does something to our metabolism. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I went to the doctor several times over this problem thinking it was my thyroid, but I always tested in the "normal" range.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 6:11 PM

I agree with 12:40 and 12:48, it's easy to think you're eating pretty healthy but are taking in more calories than you think you are - we could look and see if you made you log public and posted your username. I would also suggest counting calories (every bite!) and weighing and measuring your food (it's easy for those portion sizes to magically get just a little bigger!). If that's not the culprit, you may need to step up the intensity of your exercise. Although 4:21 is right, your BMI is right in the middle of a healthy weight, maybe you just need to do more strength training to tone up.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 6:55 PM

I was in the same boat for many years after my kid was born, but truth was - I really wasn't doing what I needed to do to lose weight. I was eating off my kids plate, I was eating as I was making a meal - all these litlte bites here and there that add up fast. The second I stop journaling what I eat on a daily basis my calories easily go up by about 200-300 if not more - it's just so easy for it to get away from you, especially once your time is no longer your own (to the same degree it was, anyway.)

Monday, August 27, 2007, 10:10 PM

feeling bloated and weight around the middle actually could be a clue. You may have an allergy (wheat is a common culprit) that could be causing a problem. If you're bloated, your body is trying to tell you something. When you carry weight around your middle it can also be a sign of something like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, altho with your average weight, you may not have any of the other symptoms. Have you talked to your doctor about either of these possibilities?

Your situation sounds similar to mine..I've lost 15 pounds in the past year by watching my fat intake and following a program called "Eat to Live"..it just wouldn't budge before this. It advocates lots of fruit and veggies (as well as carbs and protein) and low fat..somewhat similar to Ornish. The book is on Amazon. Before that, the weight would NOT budge..it was so frustrating so believe me, I understand your pain!

Anyway, watching the fat in my diet worked really well for me. Hope this helps!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 12:09 PM

12:09 here again..forgot to say that both food allergies and PCOS can make losing weight very very difficult..that was my point of asking if you had considered those!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 12:10 PM

i thought this link from another thread was great. take a look, OP! that calorie-cycling makes a lot of sense to me!

Link

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 4:20 PM

you may find my comment rude, so don't read on if you're not open to tough criticism.

stop using the situations in your life as excuses why you're not able to do what thousands of other people in your same situation are able to do. so you had a baby? work out harder. pay more attention to your food. use no added salt or sugar. take the reins into your hands and show some control. you probably got used to the different eating habits we all develop while pregnant. now it's time to change. there are no excuses. don't pay so much attention to the negative: i'm bloated, my arms are ugly, my belly is fat, waah, waah. instead of pointing that out to people, put some soup cans in your hands and go for a walk, do some sit-ups. change your diet if you feel uncomfortable with your current one. or, keep telling yourself that there must be some magical, mysterious reason why you are plagued with the inability to lose weight, no matter what rational choices you make. because that's working out so well for you right now.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 8:55 AM

hum..sometimes tough love is helpful but sometimes it's just tough. I think you erred on the side of just being tough 8:55. The OP obviously has a lot of self control seeing as she's 5'4 and 135 pounds..that's a pretty normal weight. And she's paying attention to what her body is telling her. And when you get closer to your ideal weight, it gets tougher.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 12:09 PM

agreed, it does get tougher. that's why you need to try harder. instead of sitting at a keyboard and complaining about how you've tried everything, step away from the computer and try something else. spending time writing about your fat areas doesn't in any way help change your fat areas. it only lets you focus more on the negative and embrace what some call defeat. let your anger motivate you and stop those thoughts in their tracks.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 12:15 PM

Put the baby in a stroller and start walking

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 1:19 PM

i can't stand the whining posts and self-inflicted-victimization on this forum anymore...this is about support in our efforts, not crying to an audience. share what works for you and share the small accomplishments, even if your only accomplishment for the day is that you came here and logged in your meal. no one wants to read about others' failures or someone's delusions about how they are especially challenged because of their particular circumstances. your only obstacle is yourself. anyone can improve their behavior for the better, from day to day at least.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 8:54 AM

8:54 I don't mind when somone unloads their feelings It is OK and good. I think it is a great way to relieve pressure and stress. By the way didn't you ever feel hepless? Oh well! We all can't be perfect. OP You are not a whiner you are in touch with your feelings!

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 8:59 AM

OP - Keep trying! You'll find what works for you. For me it was Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Else Resch. I'm back to losing and my sanity has also returned. LOL Is there any chance you need to accept that a mature womanly body is as attractive as a 20 year old imature body? Just a thought. As long as you don't quit, your not a failure.
Remember this is progress not perfection.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 11:33 AM

8:54

Clearly you've never wrestled with your weight and lost. It must be nice to lose every time you try - good for you.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 12:45 PM

854 here

are you joking? i am currently wrestling with my weight, but i choose to only focus on the positive choices i make and the smallest bit of accomplishment i feel instead of whining and complaining about the well-known fact that this is f*cking hard!!! i don't stand and look in disgust at my fat zones in the mirror...i take a walk , even just up and down the stairs twice instead; i don't talk to people about what i think is gross about my body, i tell people that i made a great healthy dinner last night instead; i don't look for others to commisserate with me about the struggle, i look for others to celebrate my successes instead. i do have a weight issue and i am addressing it in the ways that work for me. i should have posted this entry instead of the one above, but i read comments all the time where people just vent about what bugs them, so i did the same. my approach works and provides no room for excuses. and i never feel bad about my journey. why not try my way and see? i started out doing it your way and was depressed and isolated for years. now i am losing weight and looking & feeling confident.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 2:34 PM

So 8:54 - why are you here?

Most of us are here to both offer and get support, because we know we can't do it alone. and sometimes we need a little kick in the butt or a pat on the back. Clearly you can kick - and frankly, I appreciate what you were trying to say to the OP. But there is a different betwteen a little kick and a push off the cliff.

Everything in moderation.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 5:33 PM

8:54 Your second post was much better. Hope your having a great day and can lick your battle with weight too.
I've been one of those depressed about my weight, almost paralyzed by it. And some encouragement can help. New ideas can help. Sometimes a kick in the pants helps. It is tricky to figure out which one at which time. OP try and take 8:54's comments in the spirit she ment them.

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 7:00 PM

8:54

"my approach works..." you see, that's just it, the OP's approach ISN'T working so she can't "try it my (your) way. Hence the "vent". Let it out OP there are those of us who can relate. Just keep doing what is healthy for your body and hopefully the weight loss will follow

Thursday, August 30, 2007, 8:43 PM

854 here

my point exactly. the OP's approach isn't working for her. so try something different. focus on the positive. love yourself and tell yourself that it's not a secret that it's hard to lose weight. change the perception from a constant struglle to unlimited opportunities to improve.

you know, i don't leave comments that instruct others on how to express their opinions or what tone to adapt in their wording when expressing their thoughts. if people would take for granted that everything written here is written with good intentions instead of written to be rude or demeaning, we may find more messages are understood rather than lost in interpretation.

Friday, August 31, 2007, 7:54 AM

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